be betwixt their enemies and them As if God should say before they touch thee they shall ouercome mee ô Israel Let vs then goe on as God commanded them and keepe our selues in our waies and then feare nothing Vers 14. for God will fight for vs let vs hold our peace The third particular here mentioned is its Elapidation or cleansing He gathered out the stones thereof whereby is meant as before was shewed the Idolatrous heathen whom God t Psal 44.2 droue out before his Israel that they might not hinder this his Vineyards growth Hence we inferre It is not safe nor profitable for the Church to suffer wicked Idolaters Doct. Toleration of Idolatry is not for the Churches safety or other obstinate sinners to remaine within the Church Of such Gods Vineyard must be rid and his Church purged Will you heare in a few words what the Scriptures say for confirmation hereof It is commanded in the law u Deut. 13.1 seq that the false Prophet and seducing Idolater whether he be brother or sonne or daughter or wife or friend should bee taken away and slaine without mercie or pitie that all Israel may heare and see and feare and not dare to commit the like And againe * Deut. 29.18 There shall not bee amongst you man nor woman nor family nor tribe which shall turne away his heart from the Lord our God to goe and serue the gods of these Nations Besides it forbad x Leuit. 19.19 sowing of the field with mingled seed y Deut. 22.10 plowing with an Oxe and an Asse together the wearing of a garment of diuers things as linnen and woollen mixt together Now these lawes according to the letter seeme ridiculous Haec ad literam videntur esse ridicula Ordin gloss in Leuit. saith the glosse but the thing that God intends hereby to shew is that he cannot away with a mixt Religion The Church of Ephesus z Reuel 2.6 was commended for hating the workes of the Nicolaitans but Pergamus a Reuel 2.14 was reproued for suffering them that maintained the Doctrine of Balaam and Thyatira b Reuel 2.20 blamed for suffering Iesabel to teach and deceiue Gods seruants And why in Scripture are Idolaters called c Ios 23.13 Iudg. 2.1 stumbling-blocks snares thornes traps whips and destruction but because they proue so to the people amongst whom they liue Israel found them so and England did no lesse in Queene Maries daies and France doth so For from whence spring these commotions tumults horrible massacres and bloudy tragedies but from the diuersity of Religion amongst them Reason 1 And indeed what agreement hath light with darknesse or God with Belial The Lord can neuer digest two contraries though neuer so well mixed or wisely tempered in matters of religion as the Church of Laodicea d Reuel 3.16 sheweth Hereupon zealous Elijah exhorteth the people after this manner e 1 King 18.21 If the Lord be God follow him and if Baal be God goe after him Reason 2 Besides f 1 Cor. 5.6 Doe yee not know that a little leauen leaueneth the whole lumpe Sinne therefore being infectious the sinner is not to bee tolerated in the assembly of the righteous Take wee occasion hence to magnifie Gods name Vse 1 who hath beene so gracious to this his Vineyard which his owne right hand hath planted in this Land as to cleanse it of all such stones as might any way hinder the prosperity or flourishing estate of it Our streets are well swept and rid of that Popish rubbish wherewith formerly they haue beene much annoied Those dens of theeues are dispersed those buyers and sellers of Popish trash Monks Friers Massemongers and Iesuits are whipt out of the Temple and driuen from amongst vs He hath pulled downe that great Idoll of the Masse with other Idols that were set vp to bee adored and hath abolished the manifold heresies and corruptions of false doctrine And withall hath blessed vs with so religious and prudent a King as is a constant Defender of the Faith and an open aduersary to superstition and Idolatry What shall we now render to the Lord for all these testimonies and tokens of his loue towards vs but take the cup of Saluation and praise with tongue and heart the name of God acknowledging his goodnesse in deliuering vs from the Romish bondage labouring to bring forth the fruits of the Gospell to the glorie of his name and our owne endlesse saluation This likewise serueth for the Admonition 1. Of Vse 2 Ministers whom God hath reposed such great trust and confidence in as to be the dressers and keepers of his Vineyard that wee be found faithfull and what lies in vs remoue whatsoeuer may any way annoy it For which end Christ hath not only committed vnto vs g Ephes 6. the sword of the spirit which is the word of God wherewith we may h Tit. 1. conuince gainsayers but also i Matth. 16.19 the keies of the kingdome that men being conuicted and not conuerted nor reclaimed they may be cast out and expelled either for a time as the incestuous k 1 Cor. 5.5 Corinthian was or for euer euen vnto the comming of the Lord Which kinde of excommunication the Apostle cals l 1 Cor. 16.22 Maran-atha of Mara the Lord and Atha he commeth being interposed for sound sake Which censure being so grieuous as it is for it is a deliuering m 1 Cor. 5.5 vp to Satan ought not be inflicted rashly for euery trifle but deliberatly in matters of weight and moment and in such cases as expresly shut out of the kingdome of heauen such as those the Apostle mentioneth 1 Corinth 6. because it is a declaration of that which is by God done in heauen In the execution whereof let all such as it doth concerne beware of filthy lucre and faithfully discharge what is committed to them not suffering the notoriously prophane to remaine within the Church lest others bee endangered and infected by their society for n 2 Tim. 2.17 their very words and much more their conuersation creepeth and corrupteth as a gangreene Verbum informans virga reformans 2. Magistrates who must second the word of information with the rod of reformation and backe the Ministers of the Word by the vse of the temporall sword which they must not o Rom. 13.4 beare for nought but as the Ministers of God take vengeance on them that doe euill These are Gods Surrogates and the Preachers hopes Our words are thought aire where their hands doe not compell Good lawes are made against the wicked and prophane but what are wee the better for Gods owne lawes without execution If those who haue the charge imposed and the sword put in their hands stand like the picture of S. George with his hand vp yet neuer strike it will fare full ill with the Vineyard of the Lord. Let it bee their care
vsed by f Acts 16.25 Paul and Silas who at midnight prayed and sang praises to the Lord and by g Mat. 26.30 Christ and his Apostles whose example is without exception who sang a Psalme together as at other times so that night in which our Sauiour was betrayed Thus out of holy writ we haue proued the point Vide Eccles hist Theod. lib. 2. cap. 24. Clem. Alex. lib. 2. Paedagog cap. 4. Euseb Eccles hist lib. 2. cap. 17. Much might be brought likewise for the further confirming of it out of Ecclesiasticall Historie if it were as needfull as easie so to doe of the practise of Christians since Christs time but of that much I will alledge only at this time that testimonie which h Lib. 3. cap. 33. lib. 8. cap. 9. lib. 10. cap. 4. Plinius secundus a Heathen who liued about 200 yeares after Christ gaue vnto the Emperour Traian in the behalfe of Christians They vse saith he to rise before day to celebrate Christ in Psalmes as God And as Socrates reports neither Constantine nor Theodosius euer began a battell i Socrat. Schol. Eccles hist lib. 7. cap. 22. but first they and their souldiers sung Psalmes and made supplications to the Lord. Let vs now come to some profitable vse And first it serueth soundly to lesson such as condemne Vse 1 this exercise or deride such as vse it either in publike or in priuate Such mockers are euery where to be found who as they deride all other parts of Gods seruice so amongst the rest this But if it be a worke of Gods spirit to sing and if Gods children k 1 Cor. 14.15 sing with the spirit as S. Paul auoucheth then against whom doe these open their mouthes whom doe they blaspheme A lamentable thing it is that in a Land professing the Gospell and after the continuance of the publike preaching thereof so many yeares such an ancient laudable and holy exercise should be made a matter of scorne in the seeming of any The Lord lay not this sinne vnto our charge Vse 2 Secondly let vs be stirred vp on all sides to a conscionable performance of this Christian dutie We haue seene it commended to vs by the practise of Gods Saints and by Christ himselfe And not only so but commanded likewise in expresse termes so that wee may not thinke it as a thing indifferent whether we sing or no but euery man to whom God hath giuen the facultie of singing ought as well this way as any other to set forth his Makers praise Motiues to singing Now the better to stirre vs vp to the performance hereof for we shall finde our flesh backward enough as well in this as in any other good exercise I might vse many motiues One taken from the admirable effects and vertues of the Psalmes there being in them a pretious balme for euery present sore so as that there is no temptation nor affliction which can befall a Christian but in the Psalmes he may finde both the formes of expressing them and their meanes of remedie Another might be drawne from the practise of the dumbe creatures As the Larke and other birds which shut vp the light with a sweet dittie and againe saluteth the Sunne when it begins to peepe the next morning with such sweet straines as God hath naturally giuen to it This l Ambros Hexā lib. 5. cap. 12. one of the Ancients vseth as a motiue to draw vs to the exercise of singing For how can men but blush saith he to remember that they haue begun or ended a day without a Psalme when they see the birds those wilde quiristers of the wood constant in their deuotions beginning and ending the day with variety of song But I loue not to be tedious Remember only what Dauid saith m Psal 147.1 It is a good thing to sing praises to our God It is pleasant and praise is comely There are some things good but not pleasant as afflictions Some things are pleasant but not good as sinne And some things may be both good and pleasant yet not comely But this is all It is good because commanded of God and agreeable to his will as before hath beene proued It is pleasant as the children of God experimentally haue witnessed who in time of tribulation haue vsed them as a great meanes of consolation and as a sweetning to their tortures So did Theodorus a man young in yeares though not in grace of whō we reade n August de Ciu. Dei lib. 18. cap. 52. Ruffin lib. 1. cap. 35. that being cruelly tortured with vnheard of torments from the breake of the day vntill the tenth houre without intermission and then set on horsebacke on both sides tortured by the executioners sang with a cheerefull countenance the 96 Psalme Which vndaunted constancie the Officer perceiuing sent him backe againe to prison reporting to the Emperor what was done and with all told him that vnlesse he forbare to exercise such cruelty it would redound to their glory and his shame It is comely for it is the exercise of the Angels in heauen to sing praises and Halleluiahs to the Lord. Wouldst thou then exercise thy selfe in that which is both good pleasant and comely then sing Psalmes for all these are met in that one dutie Now for as much as many a good duty is mard in Vse 3 the making and spoyld in the performance let me adde a third vse for our direction and therein shew what is required of vs in our singing that God may haue the glory The rules that concerne this exercise are summarily comprehended in these words of the Apostle to the Colossians Coloss 3.16 Teaching and admonishing your selues in Psalmes and Hymnes and spirituall songs singing with grace in your hearts vnto the Lord. Here we haue directions both for Matter Manner and End Concerning the matter of our songs It must be first good and wholsome spirituall and heauenly Such songs we must sing as are either already in the word or else composed according to the word 2. It must be fitting that it may edifie It must teach and admonish and therefore wisdome is required euen in chusing of a Psalme that it may be fitting the occasion Concerning the manner of our singing these are the things required First it must be with the heart Now to sing with the heart is to sing with vnderstanding and with feeling For he that singeth and vnderstandeth not what he singeth what is he better than a sounding brasse or a tinckling cymball And therefore saith the Apostle p 1 Cor. 14.15 I will sing but I will sing with the vnderstanding Our hearts must goe with our voyces the one must be lift vp as well as the other For God is a spirit and will be worshipped with the spirit Looke then to prepare thy heart before thou singest and awake thy tongue with q Psal 57.7 8. Plus valet
especiall kinde of fellowship had with him we shall finde what a great desire the godly haue had to such places and what great loue they haue borne to those duties Å¿ Psal 26.8 I haue loued saith Dauid the habitation of thy house and the place where thine honour dwelleth And else-where thus t Psal 27.4 One thing haue I desired of the Lord that I will seeke after that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the dayes of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord and to enquire in his Temple And againe u Psal 84.1 2. How amiable are thy Tabernacles O Lord of Hosts my soule longeth yea euen fainteth for the Courts of the Lord. vers 4. Blessed are they that dwell in thy house A day in thy Courts is better than a thousand vers 10. I had rather be a doore-keeper in the house of my God than to dwell in the Tents of wickednesse The like is his desire after the meanes and exercises of Religion * Psal 119.97 Oh how loue I thy Law it is my meditation all the day x verse 127. I loue thy Commandements aboue gold yea aboue fine gold y Psal 55.17 Euening and morning and at noone will I pray and cry aloud z Psal 119.164 Yea seuen times a day doe I praise thee because of thy righteous iudgements This hath beene the desire of such whose hearts haue beene enflamed with the loue of God after his presence of grace here and as desirous haue they bin after Gods presence of glory hereafter with Paul desiring to bee loosed that hee might bee with Christ a Phil. 1.15 which they count best of all and with the Bride and Spirit in the Reuelation say Come b Reu. 22.17 vers 20. Amer euen so come Lord Iesus Againe out Ioy will make knowne our loue Ioy. For where loue is there ioy will shew it selfe 1. In the Presence or enioyment of the party beloued 2. In his Image or picture 3. In such things as tend to the setting forth of his Honour As loue causeth vs to desire society with the beloued party so it maketh vs to reioyce in it greatly when it is obtained and had euen as a louing wife reioyceth in the company of her Husband aboue the company of any other whatsoeuer so saith the Church c Isay 61.10 I will greatly reioyce in the Lord my soule shall be ioyfull in my God The Apostle Paul calleth Christ his reioycing d 1 Cor. 15.31 By our reioycing which I haue in Christ Iesus Thus do Gods children reioyce in Gods presence yea e Isay 9.3 their ioy before him is according to the ioy in haruest and as men reioyce when they diuide the spoyle As they ioy in his Presence so doe they reioyce in his Image The very picture of a friend whom we entirely loue we esteeme highly of and often solace our selues in the beholding it So f 1 Iohn 5.1 If we loue him that begat we loue him also that is begotten If we loue God it cannot be but we must needs reioyce in the Image of God which appeares in his children consisting in g Ephes 4.24 righteousnesse and true holinesse And thus did Dauid h Psal 16.2 3. My goodnesse extendeth not to thee but to the Saints that are in the earth and to the excellent in whom is all my delight Where marke 1. His delight was In the Saints 2. In all the Saints 3. All his delight was in them The mother of Darius as I haue read saluting Hephestion in stead of Alexander who was but Alexanders fauourite blushed and was much ashamed vpon notice of her mistake which Alexander perceiuing bid her not be troubled for said he he is also Alexander Doest thou reioyce in Christ thou must then reioyce in the godly for they also are i 1 Cor. 12.12 Christ And as in the Image so Loue causeth vs to reioyce in euery thing that serueth to the praise or profit of the beloued party So here As 1. generally in the Churches welfare Ierusalem k Psal 137.6 shall be preferred to our chiefest ioy thus the godly in Isayes dayes l Isay 66.10 Reioyce yee with Ierusalem and be glad with her all yee that loue her reioyce for ioy with her all you that mourne for her 2. More particularly The readinesse of the people to doe God seruice will stirre vp Ioy as in Dauids time m 1 Chro. 29.9 The people reioyced for that they offered willingly And in Asa's time n 2 Chro. 15.15 All Iudah reioyced at the oath of the couenant which they had made vnto the Lord for they had sworne saith the text with all their heart So likewise will the conuersion of sinners Thus when the Iewes heard of the conuersion of the Gentiles and that the Holy Ghost was fallen vpon them as vpon themselues at the beginning they glorified God saying o Acts 11.18 Then hath God also vnto the Gentiles granted repentance vnto life It maketh vs likewise to reioyce at our owne well-doing because honour thereby redounds to the name of God so saith Solomon p Pro. 21.15 It is ioy to the iust to doe iudgement And lastly in our owne saluation q Luke 10.20 that our names are written in the booke of life Thus in these and in all things else which tend and so farre forth as they tend to the setting forth of the Almighties praise doth Loue cause vs to reioyce Further Feare our Loue if sound will be discerned by our Feare How afraid are we to offend or any way displease those whom we entirely affect And therefore these two are ioyned together by r Deut. 10.12 Moses as sisters for where one is there is the other True it is that perfect Loue casteth out Feare Å¿ 1 Iohn 4.18 as S. Iohn speaketh but that is meant of a slauish and seruile feare not of this sonne-like and filiall feare for it doth establish it Moses in one verse sheweth both these kindes of feares t Exod. 20.20 Feare not saith he to Israel for God is come to proue you and that his feare may be before your faces that you sinne not He bids them not to feare viz. with that slauish feare and yet chargeth them to feare viz. with this godly and child-like feare By this latter feare then we need not feare to try our loue For without question he that truly loues God is afraid to displease God by committing of the least sinne for feare lest it should make a diuorce betweene him and his God whom his soule loueth Moreouer Loue causeth Sorrow and Griefe Griefe 1. For our beloueds absence 2. For any wrong or iniurie offered vnto him Doe we not see what discontentment beasts which out of naturall instinct loue their young doe shew when they haue lost them And how grieuously doe Parents take the death or
absence of their children In humane loue amongst friends it fareth after the same manner as it doth in naturall what a heauy parting was there betweene Ionathan and Dauid u 1 Sam. 20.41 And is not this the nature of religious loue The Spouse hauing lost her welbeloued inquires through the streets as vndone without him * Cant. 5.6 Cap. 3.2.3 Saw yee him whom my soule loueth And so doth euery faithfull soule when through their misbehauiour they cause the Lord for a while to leaue them and withdraw his fauourable presence from them In case of wrong we haue an excellent example in Ionathan how grieuously did he take it that his beloued friend Dauid should be iniured though it were his owne father who offered it For so saith the text x 1 Sam. 20.34 He was grieued for Dauid because his father had done him shame So loue to God causeth a man to take to heart things done against his name and honour be it done either by himselfe or other If by himselfe he goeth out y Matth. 26.75 with Peter and weepeth bitterly and as it is said of the people of God in the day of their repentance drawes water z 1 Sam. 7.6 to powre it out before the Lord. And so was Dauid affected as appeares in that a Psal 51. poenitentiall Psalme which he made vpon occasion of his soule fall into adulterie and murther If by others he laments it heartily with Lot b 2 Pet. 2.8 who dwelling amongst the wicked in seeing and hearing vexed his righteous soule from day to day with their vnlawfull deeds And thus did Dauid c Psal 119.158 I beheld the transgressors and was grieued because they kept not thy word d Vers 136. Riuers of teares runne downe mine eyes because they keepe not thy law So Ezra who when he heard how the people had sinned and dishonoured God by taking strange wiues vnto them e Ezra 9.3 He rent his garment and his mantle and pluckt the haire from off his head and beard and sate downe astonied Ieremiah likewise when he saw the people would not giue glory to the Lord neither would heare he telleth them f Ier. 13.17 his soule should weepe in secret for their pride and his eye should weepe sore and runne downe with teares for their disobedience And thus did those mourners marked with Gods owne marke for his g Ezek. 9.4 mourne for the abominations committed in Ierusalem whereby they testified the soundnesse of this grace of Loue. As Griefe so Patience Patience in suffering and vndergoing of trouble labour paine will manifest how great our loue is which we beare to God What infinite paines will men that loue the world take for a handfull of it Hunters Hawkers how doe they toyle and moyle yet neuer complaine And why They loue the sport Vbi amor est non est labor sed sapor Bernard ser 85. in Cant. Hard things loue makes easie great paines to it seemes pleasure no taske so hard which loue refuses to gratifie the beloued partie For the loue that Iacob did beare to Rachel h Gen. 29.20 he was content to vndergoe seuen yeares hard seruice and they seemed vnto him but as a few dayes the reason is giuen in the text For the loue he had to her If Shechem will marry Dinah it must be on condition of Circumcision he must first suffer the cutting of his tender flesh though it be as questionlesse it would be very painfull i Gen. 34.19 Now the young man deferred not to doe the thing because he had delight in Iacobs daughter The like patience will be found in vndergoing any paine or trouble for Gods cause if we truly loue him The Apostles depart from the presence of the Councell k Acts 5.40 reioycing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for the name of Christ Ignatius that blessed Martyr of Christ Iesus thus testified his loue as appeareth l Eccles Hist Euseb li. 3. ca. 36. by his Epistle which he wrote vnto the Church of Rome where he professeth that the more he was exercised with the iniuries of his oppressors the more he was instructed and that he weighed neither visible nor inuisible things for the loue of Christ And addeth further Come fire crosse wilde beasts slaughter tearing of bones dismembring of the parts of my bodie yea let all the torments of the deuill rush vpon me so I may enioy Christ better for me to be a Martyr than a Monarch Ex narratione historica de condem Ioh. Hussi in Concil Const. my Loue is crucified c. And so Iohn Hus who being led forth to the place of execution after he was condemned in the Councell of Constance to be burned hauing a cap of paper set vpon his head in which were painted three deuils of an vgly shape and this inscription added This is an Arch-heretique when he beheld it said very mildly My Lord Iesus Christ who was innocent vouchsafed to weare a sharpe crowne of thornes for me wretched sinner and therefore I will beare this though imposed as a scorne for his names sake And in that truly named Golden Legend m Heb. 11.36 of how many doe we reade who were tryed by mockings scourgings bonds imprisonments who were stoned sawen asunder tempted slaine with the sword who wandered about in sheeps skins and goat skins being destitute afflicted tormented c. Thus Gods seruants whose hearts haue beene inflamed with a loue vnto him haue reioyced in their sufferings and patiently vnderwent the heauiest trials especially when it hath beene for their Sauiours sake taking greater pleasure in their iron fetters than the proudest Courtier doth of his golden chaine It was Hardings inuectiue against our reuerend and pretious Iewell that we Protestants were worse than the very deuils For whereas bread and water and the Crosse could scar them away Princes could be rid of vs by no meanes but fire To whom that excellent Bishop answered that though it pleased his malitious humour to make but a iest of the bloud of Gods Saints yet it was no more ignominie for Lambes to suffer what Christ suffered than it was praise and credit for Wolues to betray him as Iudas did Zeale By our Zeale lastly may our loue be tried For whether it be an intention of loue as some would haue it or a compound of loue and anger as other describe it Certainly it is a spirituall heat wrought in the heart of man by the Holy Ghost improuing this good affection of loue as one of late hath well defined it By this Moses discouered his loue for though hee were the meekest man vpon the earth yet he was not only grieued but wonderfully angry n Exod. 32.19 when he saw God to be dishonoured So Elijah Phineas Samuel Dauid Nehemiah and many others did the like as largely appeareth in their stories And surely if we loued the Lord it could
God euer riseth in its ruine Sanguis martyrum est semen Ecclesiae prospereth in its persecution The bloud of Martyrs is but the seed of it and the chopping off their heads but as the pruning of this Vine And as Ioseph said so may euery true Christian say The Lord hath made me fruitfull in the Land of my affliction r Rom. 5.4 5. Their tribulation worketh patience and patience experience and experience hope and that maketh not ashamed And thus for the resemblance in the branches Now in the Barke or Rinde let vs compare them we see that the Barke of the Vine seemeth more withered dry than the Rinde or Barke of any other Tree whateuer yet it hath plenty of sap and abundance of moisture vnder it Thus the Church of God seemes blacke and deformed outwardly to the worlds eye which onely beholdeth and iudgeth the Rinde by reason of the scorching heat of persecution yet she is inwardly glorious and beautifull for there the inuisible graces of Faith Feare Hope Loue Patience Holinesse are hid This shewes the Psalmist Psal 45.13 The Kings Daughter is all glorious within and the Church maketh this confession of her selfe t Cant. 1.5 6. I am blacke but comely oh ye Daughters of Ierusalem as the tents of Kedar as the curtaines of Soloman And this is the cause that her mothers children looke vpon her and are angry with her In the Wood let vs see what likenesse we can finde 1. That we know is the weakest and feeblest wood of any other The trees of the Forest are strong and tall but the Vine so weake that it cannot beare vp it selfe without a stay or prop. Thus the Church of any society is least able to helpe it selfe it cannot stand against a storme without the prop of Gods protection by reason of her naturall weaknesse It is u Isay 33. a weake tent in it selfe not fortified with any wals A small flocke of sheepe very impotent and feeble * Zeph. 3.12 An humble and poore people yea a very worme for so the Lord calleth her x Isay 41.14 Vers 10. Feare not thou worme Iacob and ye men of Israel I will helpe thee saith the Lord Feare thou not for I am with thee bee not dismaied for I am thy God I will strengthen thee yea I will helpe thee yea I will vphold thee c. Thus Gods y 2 Cor. 12.9 strength is made perfect in the Churches weaknesse by his power is it sustained on her beloued she is z Cant. 8.5 faine to leane comming out of the wildernesse of this world The Altar of the Sanctuary which at the base had Lions of brasse for supporters of it we may well thinke was a type of this Secondly vnlesse it beare grapes it is the vnprofitablest wood of any a Ezek. 15.3 Sonne of man saith God to Ezechiel what is the Vine-tree more than any tree or than a branch which is amongst the trees of the Forest Shall wood bee taken thereof to doe any worke Or will men take a pinne of it to hang any vessell thereon Vers 5. Behold when it was whole it was meet for no worke c. Thus the wood of this plant is meet for no vse being cut downe or taken from the root it is only fit fewell for the fire This is the condition likewise of all barren and fruitlesse professors they are good for nothing but to be fewell of Gods wrath But of this hereafter In the Leaues likewise the resemblance is excellent 1. the leaues of the Vine are good for shadow b Hos 4.13 euery thing delights in the heat of Summer to harbour vnder their shade And thus howeuer the Church and members of the Church are persecuted and afflicted by the wicked and well cudgeled as fruit trees are in Summer yet in the day of trouble their shadow is good then can the wicked runne to them for shelter Thus Pharaoh and his Courtiers in the euill day can send for Moses and Aaron c Exod. 9.27 and desire them to pray vnto the Lord that there bee no more mighty thunders and haile c. So d 1 Sam. 24.21 Saul in foule weather runnes to Dauid and Ieroboam e 1 King 13.6 to the man of God Belteshazzer f Dan. 5.12 13. to Daniel Zedekiah g Ier. 37.3 to Ieremiah the foolis h Mat. 25.8 Virgins to the wise These besides many more that might be reckoned haue found the best harbouring to be vnder their shade and that no leaues could so well keepe off a storme of vengeance as these leaues could Themistocles though he were banished in peace yet he was sent for home in warre And so the godly though they bee passed ouer in the dayes of pride yet when the showres of Gods wrath shall fall then they and their shadow shall be more regarded 2. The leaues of the Vine are good for medicine they are very profitable and of excellent vse for healing wounds cleansing sores if they be taken and applied The fruit thereof shall be for meat saith Ezechiel speaking of the Church i Ezek. 47.12 and the leafe thereof for medicine Thus the very outward profession of a Christian the very leaues and outward carriage of the godly is for medicinable vse hereby many haue beene healed thousands haue beene wonne to k 1 Pet. 2.12 a loue and liking of the truth Thus Lucianus an ancient Martyr perswaded many Gentiles vnto the faith by his graue countenance and modest disposition insomuch that as it is recorded Maximinus that persecuting Emperour durst not looke him in the face for feare he should turne Christian And so mention is made by Beda l Eng. Hist lib. 1. cap. 7. of one Albane who receiuing a poore persecuted Christian into his house and seeing his holy deuotion and sweet carriage was so much affected with the same as that hee became an earnest professor of the faith and in the end a glorious Martyr for the faith And so their words they haue a healing quality with them if they were applied they tend to the m Ephes 4.29 edification and n Pro. 10.21 feeding of many and minister o Colos 4.6 grace vnto the hearers as the Apostle speaketh p Psal 37.30 The mouth of the righteous will speake of wisdome saith Dauid and his tongue talketh of iudgement They are sometimes perswading sometimes instructing sometimes admonishing sometimes comforting other whiles praying all tending to the healing of wounded and distressed consciences And thus in this we see a good agreement Now lastly for their fruits and first for the quantity then for the quality of it The Vine we know beareth first plenty of fruit it beareth in bunches and clusters many Grapes together So the Church aboundeth in good workes q 1 Cor. 15.58 being filled with the fruits of righteousnesse r Phil. 1.11 as the Apostle speaketh to the
Philippians Å¿ Iohn 15.5 bringing forth much fruit as our Sauiour testifieth of his Disciples Full of mercy and good workes t Iam. 3.17 18. without partiality and without hypocrisie as Saint Iames saith which fruit of righteousnesse as he further speaketh is sowne in peace of them that make peace Thus they bring forth Grapes in clusters vnited in the bond of peace and loue 2. The Vine beareth Pleasant fruit no fruit more delectable to the taste than is the Grape nor more comfortable to the heart than is the Wine made of the Grape u Iudg. 9.13 Should I leaue my Wine which cheereth God and man saith the Vine to other trees in the Parable And so the fruit of Christians How doe their workes of loue and mercy refresh the bowels of the Saints distressed brethren afflicted How doe their fruits of iustice and equity ease and releeue the oppressed soule How is God glorified * Iohn 15.8 Angels and men reioyced by the fruitfulnesse of these trees of righteousnesse when as the fruit of other trees and plants is but bitter fruit fruit vnto death x Rom. 7.21 as the Apostle speaketh In diuers othet particulars the comparison might be followed but I desire not to be more curious than profitable By this that hath beene said wee cannot but see the aptnesse of the similitude Now to some profitable obseruations And first something may be noted in generall in that the Prophet vseth a Parable or Similitude and that from a Vine or Vineyard a thing earthly and temporall whereby he doth set out the estate and nature of the Church together with Gods care and cost for the welfare of the Church things heauenly and spirituall Doctr. It is lawfull to make resemblances betweene things earthly and heauenly As first It is lawfull to make resemblances and likenesses between corporall and spirituall earthly and heauenly things for our better instruction The Prophets and Apostles and Christ himselfe that chiefe Shepheard of the Sheepe haue vsed thus to teach For proofe reade these places amongst multitudes that might be brought Psal 92.12 Mat. 13.3.24.31.33.44.45.47 Luke 13.6 15. 18. Vse Let Ministers wisely and soberly vse this their libertie in teaching for the edification of their hearers whom if they be of the weaker sort let them not trouble with profound matters which they are not able to vnderstand but let vs be content to vse plaine similitudes and home-bred comparisons fetcht from leauen from the meale-tub or other domesticall businesse knowing therein wee doe no other than Iesus Christ our great Doctor and Master himselfe did We are called Nurses y 1 Thess 2. Now nurses are not ashamed nay they rather delight in it to condescend to the balbutient infancie of their nurcelings And so let vs becomming in this sense Barbarians vnto Barbarians Habeo in abscondito quoddam ossum Sic enim pâ—tuis lequamâ—er Melius est vt reprehendâ—nt nos Grammatici quam non intelligant populi Aug. in Ps 138. Thus learned Austin as himselfe speaketh chose rather to speake barbarously than finely and to vse the barbarous word ossum in his exposition rather than the word os though he allow it in the text and so reads it because though it were not so Grammaticall yet it was the more intelligible word and he desired his peoples profit aboue his owne credit holding it better that the learned should reproue him than that the ignorant should not vnderstand him So then let vs preach not as we are able to speake but as our people are able to heare z Mark 4.33 Iohn 16.12 and as they can beare remembring still that we must rather seeke to make our people schollers than to shew our selues schollers vnto our people Now in vsing of Parables Similitudes Allegories c. See my exposition on the Parable of the Prodigall pag. 13 14. these rules as I haue else-where shewed are to be followed 1. That they be not farre fetcht but fitting for the matter in hand 2. That they be borrowed from things well knowne and easie to be conceiued 3. That we still haue a care of the maiestie of Scripture auoiding all ridiculous and base stuffe 4. That we vse them rather for instructing of life than for prouing any point of faith 5. That we turne not all into Allegories to the destroying of the letter which was Origens fault 6. That they be quickly dispatched and not too much insisted on Let Hearers learne not to despise their Ministers for Vse 2 their plainnesse but if any themselues for their childishnesse who must be thus lisped to Seeke not so much to haue thy eare tickled as thy vnderstanding enlightned The painfull Bee passeth by Roses and Violets and sits vpon Time so shouldst thou rather chuse to feed on plaine and wholsome doctrine though hot and biting than on the quirkes and flowers of mans inuention In a word learne euermore to iudge that Sermon best though plaine whereby thou vnderstandest most And so much for this first point Now heare a second There is no earthly thing which may not be apllied to some speciall vse for our edification in grace Doct. Things earthly should teach vs things heauenly Things earthly may put vs in minde of things heauenly things naturall of spirituall What is there in this world that hath any being but may reade to man a Diuinity Lecture From the highest Angell to the lowest worme all teach vs somewhat The Sun Moone Starres are good Schoolemasters a Psal 8.3 4. When I behold thy Heauens the workes of thy fingers the Moone and the Starres which thou hast ordained What is man say I then that thou art mindfull of him or the sonne of man that thou so visitest him Thus b Psal 19.1 the Heauens preach the glory of God and the Firmament sheweth his handy worke So the Fowles of the Heauens c Ier. 8.7 The Storke knoweth her appointed times the Turtle and the Crane and the Swallow obserue the time of their comming These may teach vs to know the day of our visitation and the iudgement of the Lord. The beasts of the field likewise may instruct vs d Isay 1.2 The Oxe knoweth his owner and the Asse his masters Crib By them may Israel be schooled and learne obedience Yea of the little Ant or Emmet may man be taught prouidence e Pro. 6.6 Goe to the Ant thou sluggard consider her wayes and bee wise which hauing no guide ouerseer or ruler prouideth her meat in the Summer gathereth her food in the haruest And as the creatures so may euery action and ordinary occasion bee applied to good purpose The Husbandman breaking vp his ground teacheth vs the necessity of Repentance calleth vpon vs for the f Ier. 14.4 breaking vp the fallow ground of our hearts His g Mat. 13.3 casting in his seed and sowing of his field sheweth vs the nature of the word
stone wall thereof was broken downe Thy heart is this field examine now what growes in it Doe thistles grow in stead of wheat and f Iob 31.40 cockle in stead of barley as Iob speaketh Doe the thornes and nettles of hard-heartednesse and hypocrisie pride and blasphemie profanenesse and impietie doth beastly drunkennesse filthy whoring and vncleannesse chambering and wantonnesse or the like to these couer the face thereof why then be thou assured an ill husbandman owes this ground it is the enuious man the deuill that sowes these seeds and husbands such plats as these But on the contrary is the fallow ground of thy heart turned vp and is the stoninesse thereof taken away Are those brambles and bryars noysome lusts and strong corruptions which formerly grew therein now weeded vp and cast out And art thou fenced in with good purposes and resolutions for time to come and doth this wall stand firme and sure why then assure thy selfe thou art one of Gods chosen closes a true member of that Church whereof he is the husbandman for he husbands it and only it And in that his tillage and husbandry is so effectuall in thee questionlesse thou art not only in it as many are but of it as few are Sticke this as a nosegay in thy bosome Thirdly this may admonish euery one that liues in Vse 3 the Church and professe themselues to be members of the Church patiently to suffer themselues to be husbanded by the Lord enduring all things with much meeknesse and quietnesse which 〈◊〉 his wisdome hath ordained to breake vs vp withall and to make vs faire and fruitfull The earth we see is cut and wounded with shares and cultures and therefore called earth yet is patient to suffer it and returnes fruit to those that plowed it Let Earth teach Earth Terra quam terimus Terra quia teritur the Earth we teare may instruct terram quam gerimus the Earth we beare this lesson of contentednesse And let none thinke it is better to haue their hearts lie waste than to be thus broken vp for a barren estate is a wofull and cursed estate and there can be no comfort in it Doth God then come vnto thee himselfe with his pruning hooke in his hand and cut thee neere yea so neere that in thy sense and iudgement there is no hope of euer after flourishing well yet be content for thus deales the Vinitor with the most generous plant he oftentimes prunes it so close as that in sense and reason it were vtterly dead and cleane kild yet it reuiues againe and after this is more richly laden than euer it was before And so albeit m Heb. 12.11 no chastisement seemeth ioyous for the present but grieuous yet it afterwards bringeth with it the pleasant fruit of righteousnesse Or doth he send his deputies the Prophets to thee with the plow and harrow of the Law to breake vp that heathy ground of thy heart and turne vp the weeds of sinne by the very roots that they may neuer more reuiue why then subiect your selues to be directed by their care and paines without repining remembring still your hearts as of themselues will neuer yeeld any other fruit than weeds or grasse at the best needs then must they be accursed if you refuse to haue them by these husbanded that they may grow fruitfull Vse 4 Lastly this may serue for a direction to vs to whom to goe and make complaint when the Vineyard is wasted or any way annoyed by the Boare of the forest or wilde beasts of the field Make God acquainted with it and tell the Vine-dressers Gods Ministers thereof and will them tell their Masâ—â—â— that he may take some order for his Vineyards safeâ—â— Yea dost thou or any other member of the Church need husbanding Then goe to God and tell him of the barrennesse of thy heart and with a holy boldnesse vrge him with his care and paines Say thus or in this manner to him Ah Lord how barren is my soule of what is good How fruitfull is it in what is bad and naught What ignorance pride senselesnesse securitie growes there where knowledge humilitie zeale patience and other such like graces ought to grow Now since thou hast taken the charge vpon thee to be the Husbandman of thy Church and people husband thou this heart of mine and be mindfull of me oh my God Let it not be thought an ill husband owes it or one that is negligent and slothfull in his businesse but let thy care appeare in dressing of it that the fruits of all heauenly graces may abundantly spring forth and grow to the praise and glory of thy name And so much of the Husbandman A word or two of his Possession Hath a Vineyard This Vineyard is the Church Text. as we haue seene before together with the reasons of the similitude The obseruation is The Church is Gods heritage Doct. The Church is Gods inheritance For the further proofe thus we reade n Deut. 9.26 29. Destroy not thy people and thine inheritance which thou hast redeemed Yet they are thy people and thine inheritance which thou broughtest out o Cap. 32.9 The Lords portion is his people Iacob is the lot of his inheritance p 1 Sam. 10.1 The Lord hath anointed thee to be Captaine of his inheritance said Samuel to Saul q 1 Sam. 26.19 They haue driuen me this day from abiding in the inheritance of the Lord saith Dauid r 2 Sam. 20.19 Why wilt thou swallow vp the inheritance of the Lord said that same wise woman vnto Ioab when he battered the walls of Abel Å¿ Psal 74.2 Remember thy congregation which thou hast purchased of old the rod of thine inheritance this Mount Sion wherein thou hast dwelt saith the Psalmist And againe t Psal 28.9 Saue thy people and blesse thine inheritance feed them also and lift them vp for euer Yea the Lord of Hoasts shall blesse saying u Jsai 19.25 Reade Psal 33.12 78 70 71. 79.1 13. 94.5 106.5 40. Is 47.6 Ier. 2.7 3.19 12.7 1 Pet. 5.3 Blessed be Aegypt my people and Israel my inheritance Now for Vse let vs hence take notice whence it is Vse 1 that the deuill doth so molest the Church and see the reason why the wicked doe so afflict her It is not so properly for their owne sake as for the owners They maligne and spight it because God doth countenance and grace it as being the Lord and possessor of it An enuious man we know will mischiefe the bruit beast of him he beares a spleene vnto and will not sticke to wrong his very dogge and all to despight the owner Dost thou then persecute the Church or any member of the Church The more wretch thou for let me tell thee thy hate is not originally and properly to them pretend what thou wilt pretend but to God himselfe whose inheritance they are Vse 2 And
secondly seeing the Church is Gods inheritance and peculiar possession let none that professe themselues to be of the Church giue themselues from him to any other but let vs liue to him and die to him for whose vse we are enclosed * 1 Cor. 6.19 20. Yee are not your owne therefore glorifie God in your soules and bodies saith the Apostle for they are his If his then not the worlds nor the fleshes nor the deuils Why then doe we suffer these or any of these to sowe tares and corrupt seed in Gods closures Why doe wee endure the plants of wickednesse to be set in his field And why doe wee bring forth fruit vnto our selues or any other rather than vnto him Remember whose thou art or at leastwise dost professe thy selfe to be and be no longer for the weeds of sinne nor for voluptuous pleasures to feed on as bullocks doe on pasture land but be thou Gods garden of sweet flowers his Vineyard of fruitfull grapes and bring all vnto him for first fruits and tenths that thou maist be his blessed land and possession for euermore Vse 3 Lastly this may assure vs for our comfort that seeing we are his heritage he will not easily leaue vs nor forsake vs if we bring forth fruit vnto him x 1 King 21.2 3. Naboth could not be drawne to part with the inheritance of his Fathers though Ahab made him neuer so large proffers for it and much lesse will God who gaue it for a law and ordinance y Leuit. 25.25 that none should sell away their inheritance for euer but if in case that any of his people had sold away any part thereof then he or his kinne should redeeme it againe if they were able And in case of inabilitie that which was sold should remaine in the hand of him that bought it vntill the yeere of Iubile in which yeere it should goe out and then euery man should returne againe vnto his owne possession Surely he that made this law will bee mindfull of it and will not easily be driuen to giue ouer his owne inheritance which he hath chosen And if in case for the barrennesse thereof he should forsake it for a time as hee did this people Israel yet it would bee but for a time and nor perpetuall in the end he will returne againe vnto his owne And thus much briefly for this point Now further in that the Prophet speaketh in the Present tense My beloued hath a Vineyard Albeit the whole Church of Israel and Iudah was at this time so generally corrupted as that from the Crowne of the head to the sole of the foot there was nothing found but wounds swellings and sores full of corruption z Cap. 1. ver 5. as he had before testified wee doe obserue that Albeit a Church bee corrupted with error and idolatry Doct. A true Church may be corrupted with error idolatry yet it is still to be accounted Gods Church till he haue diuorced and forsaken her Thus in the daies of Ely a 1 Sam. 2.24.29 Israel was called Gods people and so his Church albeit they were not then separated from all false waies and Elyes sonnes sons of Belial saith the text b Ver. 12. who knew not the Lord remained amongst them So Moses calleth Israel Gods people c Exod. 32.11 when he was vpon the Moâ—â—t yet at that time they were in the very act of their Idolatry which was not vnknowne to Moses Vers 7 8. for God himselfe enformed him thereof So in this our Prophets time d Isay 1.21 22 29. 2.6 8. 65.11 Cap. 1.3 albeit this people were sunke deepe in rebellion and idolatry yet for all that God himselfe doth call them his people Israel doth not know My people doth not consider Turne wee our eyes from the estate of the Church in these times to after times as it was vnder the Gospell and we shall see the truth of the point propounded Looke vpon Ierusalem in our Sauiour Christs time e Mat. 23.37 and we shall see the eleuen Tribes were become Apostates and the Church amongst them was wonderfully corrupted both in Doctrine and manners as appeareth f Mat. 5.21 by our Sauiour Christs seuere reproofe of both yea the Temple it selfe g Iohn 2.14 was almost become a den of theeues full of buyers and sellers Yet at this time it was the true Church of God else the Euangelist would neuer haue called it h Mat. 4.5 27.53 the Holy City In Saint Pauls time i 1 Cor. 1.1 2. Cap. 5.1 2 Cor. 12.20 21. the Corinthians were called the Church of God and yet at that very instant some of them were in an heresie others in incest and othersome that had not repented of their filthinesse Such was the estate of the Churches of Asia k Reuel 2. 3. yet the title of true Churches were giuen to them Vse 1 Those therefore that condemne the Church of England for a No-church and make a separation from it in regard of the errours and corruptions that are in it are farre from the spirit of Christ and the Prophets and Apostles who neuer made any schismaticall and bodily separation from any true Church for the corruptions though grosse that were therein found I deny not but blemishes are in euery Church for what Church euer breathed in so pure an aire as that it might not iustly complaine of some thicke and vnwholsome euaporations of error and sinne but because our Mother wants some beauty hath she lost her face Because she is blacke hath she no comelinesse at all What is it they charge vs with bâ— l See a little booke set forth by the Separatists of the confession of their faith with corruptions for fundamentall error they can discouer none Now doe corruptions in a man make a false man or a corrupt man So that though they make the worst they can of our Church they can make it but a corrupt Church and not a false Church We haue the true Word of God preached the true Sacraments of Christ Iesus administred which all Diuines m Bucer Martyr Fagius Caluin Beza Bullinger Zanchius Iunius Rollock in all the reformed Churches in Christendom which now are or haue bin do hold to be the infallible tokens of a true Church and are reciprocally conuerted with the true Church wee maintaine euery point of the most ancient Creeds we ouerthrow not the foundation by any consequence And as yet we haue not receiued a bill of diuorcement As for Discipline the want whereof they charge vs with our Church is not destitute of it altogether I would wee had the execution of so much as our Church alloweth Neither doe we deny but therein there may be some defects and wants as appeares by those words in the Booke of common Prayer n In the commination vntill the said discipline may be restored But doth it follow hereupon
man to heauen Baalam and many other wicked wretches who are now in torments would haue gotten thither long agoe The fiue foolish Virgins intended to goe in with the bridegroome but before the time their lights dropt out If a bare Intention would serue the turne Gods Church on earth would be fuller of Saints and his Court in heauen fuller of Soules Good motions and resolutions are to be respected but thou must vp and be doing else God distasts them A fift property of good fruit is vniuersalitie It must be c Esay 27.9 All fruit as Isaiah speaketh fruits of the first and second table of holinesse towards God and righteousnesse towards man for what God hath ioyned may not be diuorced Particulars were infinite Fruits inward as good Thoughts motions purposes good Desires longings faintings after God and his graces good Affections as Loue Ioy Feare Sorrow Patience Compassion c. Fruits outward as Good words sauourie speech pure and wholesome language And good workes such as we are bound to performe within the compasse of our calling whether Generall or Speciall In a word d Phil. 4.8 Whatsoeuer things are honest whatsoeuer things are true whatsoeuer things are iust whatsoeuer things are pure whatsoeuer things are louely whatsoeuer things are of good report those things must we thinke on to doe and as Mary said to the seruants e John 2.5 Whatsoeuer hee saith doe it so say I Whatsoeuer the Lord commands that must be done wee may not picke and chuse and doe what best likes vs but as once Israel said so must we alwaies f Exod. 19.8 24.3.7 Whatsoeuer the Lord commandeth that will we doe True it is many points of our Masters will wee know not but our desire must be to know And many things we doe not but our desire must bee to doe for our obedience must reach to Gods whole reuealed will Euery Christian duty thou must make account belongs to thee as well as to any other and therefore as a man that is to plant an Orchard will be sure to get of euery good fruit some so doe not heare of any fruit that good is but carry it home and set thy heart therewith Memorable was the practise of blessed Bradford who was content to sacrifice his life in Gods cause g See Master Sampsons Preface to Bradfords Sermon of repentance He vsed to make vnto himselfe a Iournall or day-booke wherein he vsed to set downe all such notable things as either hee did see or heare each day that passed If he did heare or see any good in any man by that sight he found and noted the want thereof in himselfe and added a short prayer wherein hee craued grace and mercy that hee might amend If he did heare or see any plague or misery hee noted it as a thing procured by his owne sinnes and still added Lord haue mercie vpon me Oh that wee would tread in this Saints steps how much more fruitfull should we then bee than now wee are Lastly our fruit must bee constant fruit Constancy crownes all Thus it is said of the blessed ground h Luke 8 15. It bringeth forth fruit with patience And herein wee may not bee like to other trees wihch grow barren with their age but we must bring forth fruit in our old age i Psal 92.14 and continue fat and flourishing nay not so much as a leafe must fade or faile k Psal 1.3 there must not be any appearance of being out of the state of grace l Heb. 4.1 none of vs must seeme to be depriued or come short of entering into Gods rest Alas for such who haue left bearing yea lost their very leaues and shewes of profession which formerly they haue made being now worse than that cursed fig-tree which was greene what hope haue these who come short of those that come short of heauen Shall the former fruitfulnesse of such professors be regarded or rewarded Surely no m Ezek. 18.24 All their righteousnesse which they haue done shall neuer be mentioned but in their trespasse that they haue trespassed and in their sinne that they haue sinned in them they shall die And if euery man shall receiue according to his fruits then such shall one day feed vpon the bitter fruit of their Apostacie and Back-sliding and finde how bitter a thing it is to forsake the Lord and feele what they will not now be brought to beleeue n 2 Pet. 2.21 That it had beene better for them neuer to haue knowne the way of truth than thus to haue departed from the holy commandement Looke then thou walke not in a good course for a fit but bee constant to the death o Reuel 2.10 and so receiue the crowne of life For p Rom. 2.7 glory and immortalitie is the part and portion only of such as by constancie in well-doing seeke it To you q Luke 22.24 saith our Sauiour which haue continued with mee in tentations haue I appointed a kingdome as my Father hath appointed me a kingdome And thus we haue seene what is necessarily required that our fruit may be acceptable and pleasing vnto God Now then thou that braggest of thy faithfulnesse and fruitfulnesse tell me darest thou abide the triall Why then answer me to these Interrogatories which I propound vnto thee Is thy fruit thy owne Is it done by thy owne selfe and in thy owne person Dost thou rest and rely vpon thy owne faith and liue by it and by no mans else Againe tell me is thy fruit kindly answerable to the good seed that hath oftentimes beene cast into thy heart and beseeming the stocke wherein thou saist thou art engrafted Is not swearing lying cogging and dissembling and such stinking fruit as this the fruit thou bearest I demand againe dost thou obserue the time and season not contenting thy selfe in doing good for matter vnlesse also thou doe it then when God may haue most glory by the doing of it Answer me yet further Dost thou labour that thy fruit may come to some perfection Not resting thy selfe in this that thou bloomest blossommest but still art striuing that euery bud may bee brought to maturity and ripenesse Besides all this dost thou truly and vnfainedly desire and endeuour to bee fruitfull in all good workes making no exceptions like a lazie seruant at any of Gods Commands seeme they neuer so hard or harsh so meane or base And lastly tell mee dost thou continue constant in bearing fruit not giuing ouer in the yeere of drought but euen then continuest fresh and flourishing What answerest thou Canst thou stand out this triall And doth thy conscience witnesse that these things are so Why then indeed thou art a fruitfull branch and hast whereof to reioice in as much as thou bearest fruit to God who doth so accept it that he will reward it r Hebr. 6.7 For the earth that drinketh in the raine that commeth oft vpon it and bringeth
he makes his aduersaries themselues the Iudges of the cause Whence note we Doctr. God will fetch witnesse from his aduersaries owne consciences for the iustifying his proceedings God will fetch witnesse from his aduersaries owne consciences for the iustifying and condemning themselues God will neither chuse nor vse any other Iudge to condemne man than man himselfe Thus the Lord after hee had vsed all good meanes for the conuerting of Ephraim and Iudah demands of no other than of themselues c Hos 6.4 what hee should doe more And so our Sauiour after hee had propounded that Parable of the Vineyard d Matth. 21.40 let out to wicked husbandmen requires of the Priests and Rulers their iudgement and they sentence them and in them themselues thus That they were worthy to be destroied and to haue the Vineyard taken from them and let out to others who should render the fruits in their seasons The like I might shew of Pharaoh e Exod. 9 27. who by force of conscience was made to iustifie the Lord to his owne confusion And of Adonibezek f Iudg. 1.7 who acknowledged when Iudah had taken him and cut off his thumbs and toes that as he had done by others so had God requited him And of Iudas g Matth. 27.4 who read the sentence against himselfe there being none else to doe it Besides many other of whom mention is made in Scripture whose mouthes haue beene opened to reade their owne doome to the iustifying of the Lord and condemning of themselues Hereunto tends the Apostles speech when hee telleth vs that the sinner is subuerted and sinneth h Tit. 3.11 being selfe-condemned Thus God loues to haue a sinner accuse himselfe before hee accuse him condemne himselfe before hee condemne him Vse 1 See then here the vse of conscience and what good seruice it will doe The Lord God hath set it as his deputy in the brest of man which though it bee oftentimes a neuter when the act is doing and while sinne is a commiting yet afterwards it will proue a friend and faithfull witnesse for the Lord but an aduersary against man Oh that the wicked would thinke of this who sinne in hope of secrecie why who sees them who can witnesse any thing against them who can condemne them for such or such an action Alas poore soule There is a conscience within thee that sees thee and will condemne thee thy selfe shall passe sentence against thy selfe Now thou canst hide couer and cloake thy sinne and plead in the defense thereof but when God shall cite thy conscience to giue in euidence that shall bee as a thousand witnesses Conscientia mille testes and condemne thee for thy most secret sinnes Though thou doe escape all apprehension and accusation in this world yet thy owne conscience will arrest thee and hale thee vnto iudgement And albeit thou escape mans iudgement yet the iudgement of thy owne conscience thou shalt neuer escape Neither thinke that what thou thy selfe knowest shall euer bee concealed thou art priuy to thy owne lewdnesse and knowest of thy drunkennesse adultery theft c. Quid tibi prodest non habere conscium habenti conscientiam What art thou the better then in that no body else is priuy to them so long as thou hast a conscience within thee Neither thinke thou that because thy conscience is now asleepe or seared and benummed through a continuance in the custome of sinne that it will neuer be awakened or that this is nothing so For as the poize of a clocke being downe all motion ceaseth the wheeles stirre not but being wound vp all is set on going So albeit now while thy conscience is downe there is no noise nor mouing in thy heart all is quiet yet when it is wound vp by the iustice of God as one day assuredly it shall it will set all the wheeles on working thy tongue to confesse and say guilty Lord guilty thy eies to weepe thy hands to wring thy voice to cry thy heart to ake and yet all in vaine Bee watchfull therefore and euer remember Conscience Beware of hypocrisie and secret sinnes for though thou canst hide them from men and Deuils yet not from it And looke thou neglect not the checks of conscience Doth it now checke thee and reproue thee for thy waies know the time commeth when that conscience which doth now checke thee shall iudge thee and condemne thee and that which doth now reproue thee shall hereafter torment thee in endlesse woe if thou repent not Vse 2 Secondly seeing this is so that Man shall iudge himselfe and iustifie the Lord then let it teach vs this point of wisdome to beginne betimes and now i 1 Cor. 11.31 iudge our selues that we may not be iudged Selfe-condemning is an especiall meanes to preuent future condemnation and the more speedily we set vpon the worke the more mercifully will the Lord deale with vs. It is recorded of Edward the first sometimes King of this land k Acts and Monum that being crossed by a seruant of his in the sport of Hawking and further incensed by a sawcie answer which he made vnto the Kings threatnings telling him it was well there was a riuer betweene them spurd his horse into the depth of the riuer not without great danger of his life the water being deepe and the bankes too high and steepe for his ascending Yet at last recouering land pursues his seruant with his drawne sword The seruant finding himselfe too ill horsed to outride the King and seeing no way to escape his fury lights from his horse and on his knees exposed his necke to the blow of the Kings sword The King seeing this puts vp his sword and would not touch him Behold how humble submission and selfe-iudging soone pacifies him whom a dangerous water could not with-hold from violence Whiles men stand out against God iust fying themselues stubbornly flying from him he that rides vpon the wings of the winde posts after with the sword of vengeance drawne but when we condemne our selues and cast our selues downe at the foot of his mercie then will his wrath be soone appeased towards vs. Vse 3 Thirdly here we haue a patterne for our imitation and a coppy set to write after Let vs herein also be followers of God l Ephes 5.1 as deare Children and be so vpright and iust in our proceedings as that wee may dare to appeale to the consciences of our aduersaries for witnesse and testimonie of our innocency And as the Apostle willeth m 2 Cor. 4.2 let vs approue our selues to euery mans conscience in the sight of God Such was Dauids cariage towards Saul n 1 Sam. 24.18 26.21 as that he was constrained twice to testifie of him Thou art more righteous than I. The innocencie of Shadrach Meshach and Abednego o Dan. 3.26 caused Nebuchadnezzar to pronounce with his owne mouth they were the seruants of
21.24 Ierusalem shall be trodden downe of the Gentiles vntill the time of the Gentiles be fulfilled But we may better vnderstand thereby Idolatry and superstition with other errors and abominations that for want of Gods husbandry should as afterwards there did grow vp amongst them And thus sinnes and transgressions are compared to thornes and briers b Heb. 6.8 elsewhere in Scripture And that fitly 1. For their wounding and pricking those that handle them for whom doth not sinne wound whom hath it not stung that euer dealt with it 2. For their holding together and twining one within another Sinnes grow in heapes and where you finde any you may finde many And therefore when the Apostle speakes of them hee couples them c Rom. 13.13 Chambering and wantonnesse gluttonie and drunkennesse strife and enuying thus they grow like thornes in hedges by companies 3. Because they choake the plants and hinder them from the Sunnes heat and influence of heauen thus the seed is choaked by these thornes d Matth. 13. as our Sauiour teacheth And therefore S. Peter willeth to e 1 Pet. 1.1 lay aside all malice and all guile and hypocrisie and enuies and euill speakings those cursed thornes and briers and then As new borne babes desire the sincere milke of the word to grow thereby Vers 2. Cald. Paraph. Hect. Pint. I will also command the clouds that they raine no raine vpon it By clouds vnderstand we the Prophets and by raine the Word The Metaphor is vsuall Moses thus begins his Song f Deut. 32.2 My doctrine shall drop as the raine my speech shall distill as the dew as the small raine vpon the tender herbe and as the showres vpon the grasse And so the word of the Lord came to Ezechiel and said g Ezek. 21.2 Sonne of man set thy face towards Ierusalem and drop thy word towards the holy places and prophesie against the land of Israel And thus Amos speaketh to Amaziah h Amos 7.16 Thou saiest Prophesie not against Israel and drop not thy word against the house of Isaac In which places it is apparant that Gods Prophets are as clouds and their words or prophesies like drops of raine Now in comparing the raine and the word we shall finde good resemblance in sundry particulars as 1. In regard of cooling heat 2. quenching thirst 3. cleansing the aire 4. allaying the windes 5. mollifying and mellowing the parched and heat-hardned earth In each one of which if wee should spend time we should finde an excellent agreement but especially in a sixth respect It is a principall meanes and subordinate cause that all things fructifie and grow And therefore this must needs be a heauy iudgement and argue Gods hot displeasure against his Vineyard in commanding the clouds to raine no more raine vpon it according to that charge giuen to Micah i Mic. 2.6 Prophesie ye not vnto them seeing that without it it was impossible the Vine should grow or flourish Thus we see that as by briers and thornes the Plants should be choaked so for want of raine their very roots should wither And thus much for the literall exposition Now to come to some particular obseruation And now goe to Text. Doct. God doth warne before he smite I will tell you This is the vsuall manner of Gods dealing To warne before he strikes and foretell the iudgement before he inflicteth it He punisheth none before he hath admonished them smiteth none before he hath forewarned them That of the Prophet Amos makes this good k Amos 3.7 Surely the Lord God will doe nothing but he reuealeth his secrets vnto his seruants the Prophets He sendeth his Heralds to proclaime warre before he makes it and foretels them of such iudgements as he is purposed to inflict that they may forewarne others Take the old world my brethren for an ensample did hee not foretell the destruction of it vnto l Heb. 11.7 Noah before he brought that great Deluge vpon the earth And was not Noah m 2 Pet. 2.5 a Preacher of righteousnesse vnto them whose hand taught them as much as his tongue His businesse in building the Arke was a reall Sermon to the world wherein at once were taught mercy and life to the beleeuer and to the rebellious destruction And did he not the like by Sodome and Gomorrah vnto whom hee sent his seruant Lot n 2 Pet. 2.8 whose righteous soule was vexed from day to day with their vnlawfull deeds Was not this likewise his dealing with Pharaoh and his people did he not o Exod. 8.2.21 9.3.14.19 10.4 againe and againe admonish them and threaten them by his seruants Moses and Aaron that if they would not let his people goe he would doe thus and thus vnto them And so with the Niniuites vnto whom he sent Ionah with this crie p Ionah 3.4 Yet fortie daies and Niniuie shall be ouerthrowne And with Ierusalem q Matth. 23.37 which was often forewarned by his Prophets and by our Lord himselfe of her destruction before it fell Reason 1 Two reasons may be rendered for this truth the one is in regard of the godly and such as feare the Lord that they may not be taken at vnawares but may be awakened out of their securitie and timely preuent those iudgements threatned as those did who vpon the hearing of that plague of haile which Moses foretold would fall on Egypt r Exod 9.20 sent their seruants to fetch their cattell into their houses Reason 2 The other is that the wicked may be left without excuse in the day of wrath Å¿ Iohn 15.22 If I had not come and spoken vnto them they had had no sinne but now they haue no cloake for their sinne saith our blessed Sauiour These may be some reasons why God giues a Caueat before his Capias and doth warne before he wound And is this Gods vsuall dealing why then are wee Vse 1 smitten plagued punished Were we not forewarned of iudgement Oh our wilfulnesse and folly On whom oh man canst thou lay the fault whom wilt thou charge with thy smart Canst thou iustly say Gods silence was any cause thereof Hath not he shot off many a warning peece and sounded many an alarum before he set himselfe in battell-array against thee In the secret of thy soule thou knowest he hath done thus Often and often he hath by his seruants the Ministers warned thee of danger at the doore and by thy owne conscience many a time reproued thee and premonished thee of future vengeance He hath not played the part of a subtill enemie and stollen vpon thee at vnawares but as Tamberlane that warlike Scythian displayed first a white Flagge in token of mercie and then a red menacing and threatning bloud before that blacke Flagge the messenger and ensigne of death was hung abroad Accuse not the Lord then of any hard dealing but the hardnesse of thy owne heart which
and now with this sudden iudgement of winde vpon that little store of Corne remaining in haruest God hath taken from vs our stay and staffe of bread What shall I need to speake of those many Earthquakes mightie inundations of waters great hailestones strange Eclipses monstrous births which euery yeere brings forth Certainly if the Sorcerers of Egypt were now amongst vs they would confesse these to be the finger of God But fooles and blind that we are who haue no eies to see nor harts to vnderstand these things or at most make of them but a nine daies wonderment and so passe them ouer And againe hath not God often warned vs by lesser and lighter iudgements hath hee not visited vs with Famines Pestilence and other such like infection of sicknesse These are but as warning-peeces shot off in our eares and assured fore-runners of greater iudgements vnlesse repentance cut off their course Perk. Exhort to Repent For looke as one cloud followeth another till the Sunne consume them so one iudgement hastens after another and Repentance only is the Sunne that must dispell them And lastly that the righteous perish who seeth not and yet alas who seeth it so as to consider it in his heart The Lords hand hath beene vpon vs these many yeeres and hath come not in fauour to weed out the worst but in displeasure to gather the best and ripest Amongst our Princes he hath smitten at our chiefest Amongst our Nobles he hath taken of our noblest Amongst our Magistrates he hath fetched away of our vprightest Surely surely God neuer thus beheads a State or Countrey but for some treason The Shepherds are smitten for the sheepes vnthankefulnesse vnfruitfulnesse What shall I say more Death hath beene at the Citie as well as at the Court and in the Countrey as well as in the Citie and hath fetched away of all sorts almost the best And can this be any other than a plaine prognostication of some euill nigh at hand which euils they haue preuented by their death God grant we likewise may preuent them by our Repentance To draw towards a conclusion of this paint let euery one in particular yea thou that hearest and readest this goe home to thy selfe and make application hereof to thy owne soule for God speaketh in particular to thee as well as to any other and demandeth of thee how thou hast profited by these or the like warnings For hath he not often by the ministery of his seruants come so home vnto thy conscience as that thou hast beene perswaded and enforced to confesse thou art the man he meaneth and at whom he aimeth And what drunkard or prophane Esau is there here amongst vs who hath not been at sometimes or other told by them that if they repent not they shall be damned Besides haue not thine eies seene his signes and wonders in the heauens vpon the earth c. Thou hast heard and hast beene told of such a childe borne without a mouth or with two heads or with one eye c. why take thou warning this is meant to thee as well as to any other And hath not the Lord smote thee hitherto with a little rod afflicted thee wiâ—h light losses crosses c. see then thou d Mich. 6.9 hearest the rod and who hath appointed it And once againe I will demand of thee answer mee Hast thou not beene depriued of some faithfull friend it may be of a godly husband a religious wife a Christian and carefull parent a gratious childe a faithfull Shepherd or a true hearted brother If it be so take it as the shaking of the rod and as a warning from God vnto thee that thou mend thy manners Remember Solomons Prouerbe e Prou. 22.3 A prudent man foreseeth the euill and hideth himselfe but the simple passe on and are punished Be thou that wiseman not this foole but foresee the danger and preuent it before it fall Oh happie man to heare this word before it fall sound in thine eares As for many thousands it is fallen irrecouerably vpon them alreadie to those poore soules it cannot be said as now it is to thee Preuent it by repentance before it fall for iudgement hath alreadie seized vpon them but how happie art thou if thou knewest thy happinesse in that thy day is yet to come And therefore I say to thee take warning by these things and preuent the euill before it fall for when it is fallen there is no preuenting of it f Luke 19.41 Oh that thou knewest at the least in this thy day those things which belong vnto thy peace and that they were not hidden from thine eies My praier shall be for thee my selfe and the whole land in generall that we may so doe Euen so O Lord open our eies that we may so see thee warning as that we may feare thee threatning and obey thee teaching and patiently suffer thee chastising and at last be by thee made partakers of those good things Which g 2 Cor. 2.9 neither eie hath seene nor eare heard nor can enter into the heart of man Amen Amen What I will doe Great was Gods mercy towards this his people in foretelling and premonishing them of vengeance Text. And this makes it greater in his prolonging of it He doth not by and by inflict but will a while deferre There shall be some delay and pause some lucida interualla misericordiae A breathing time and mercifull space is granted betweene the fault and punishment And therefore he speakes not in the present tense but in the future What I will doe where we see and whence we learne God is of a patient and forbearing nature Doctr. God is of a patient and forbearing nature of much gentlenesse and long sufferance forbearing sinners for some space after they haue transgressed before he proceed to punish Many examples might be brought for proofe h Isay 65.2 All the day long he did wait vpon the Israelites stretching out his hand to that disobedient and rebellious people i Gen. 19.1.23 A whole night did he forbeare destroying Sodome after he had told Abraham thereof and forewarned them by Lot k Ion. 3.4 Fortie daies did the Lord allot vnto Niniuie for their Repentance Yet fortie daies and Niniuie shall be destroied l Luke 13.7 Three yeeres did he beare with the barren figge tree before he would cut it downe with the Axe of his iudgements He suffered the ill manners the word is very significant of the Israelites m Act. 13.18 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Fortie yeares in the Wildernesse before he did destroy them n Gen. 6.3 1 Pet. 3.20 One hundred and twentie yeares respit of repenting God gâ—ue the old World euen all the while the Arke was a preparing o Gen. 15.16 For the space of foure hundred yeeres he spared the Canaanites and Amorites Yea he suffered the Gentiles to wander in their owne waies and in the vanitie
of their mindes almost for p Acts 14.16 three thousand yeares together Thus 1. Al a day 2. A whole night 3. Fortie daies 4. Three whole yeeres 5. Fortie yeeres 6. One hundred and twenty yeeres 7. Foure hundred yeeres 8. Three thousand yeeres breathing time is giuen man between the threatning and execution Oh! how loth is God to strike that threats so long In a word haue we not all experience of this truth Are there not so many thousand witnesses as there are consciences in this congregation to confirme this point Had not this beene true where should euery one of vs haue beene at this present Surely I should neither haue beene here to speake nor thou to heare but long before this houre we should haue beene swept from off the earth like dung had there not beene this Patience and long animitie in God Thus sundry waies hath God made good his name which all of vs must needs feelingly subscribe vnto q Exod. 34.6 The Lord the Lord strong mercifull and gracious slow to anger abundant in goodnesse and in truth c. Reason 1 And no maruell if we consider First that he is God were he not God it were impossible for him so long together to hold his hands but he is God and not man therefore he forbeares This reason seemes secretly to be implied in those words of the Chronicles r 2 Chron. 36.14 15. The Lord God of their fathers sent to them his messengers c. Reason 2 2. He knoweth our weaknesse our frame and remembreth that we are but dust Å¿ Psal 103.10 14. he therefore dealeth not with vs after our sinnes nor rewardeth vs after our iniquities This reason is rendered by the Psalmist why he pitieth spareth Reason 3 3. t He is not slacke concerning his promise as some men count flacknesse 2 Pet. 3.9 but is long suffering to vs-ward not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance He desires our conuersion not destruction and therefore beares so long And this is the reason that Saint Peter giues 4. He beareth a long time with the vessels of his Reason 4 wrath to the end that they may u Gen. 15.16 fill vp the measure of their sinnes And this is the reason the Holy Ghost makes why the Amorites were forborne so long before punishment was executed on them for their wickednesse Let vs now apply these things vnto our selues And First this serues for Information of our Iudgements Vse 1 whence it comes that wicked men are so long spared and suffered to run on in sin We see how wretched and prophane many are being blasphemers of Gods name prophaners of his Sabbaths contemners of his word and giuen ouer to the committing of all sinne with greedinesse and yet are suffered to runne on without punishment which causeth matter of wonderment oftentimes * Ierem. 12.1 Non ille amisit prouidentiam aut amisit potentiam sed patentiam exercet suam dum poenitentiam expectat tuam August in the hearts of Gods children But see here the reason God is of a patient and forbearing nature the wicked thinke it is x Psal 50. because God is like them a louer and liker of sinne but be not thou deluded learne the cause 2. Admire the richnesse of Gods grace in bearing so long with rebellious sinners For God to beare with his owne children when they prouoke him is very much but to suffer his enemies and beare so long with the vessels of his wrath to suffer drunkards whoremongers Sabbath-breakers to runne on in a Vse 2 course of sinne liuing day after day weeke after weeke yeere after yeere and neuer in all that time to seeke his fauour but to waxe the worse because they are forborne this must needes argue an infinite perfection Oh how can we sufficiently magnifie such a God as this how can we enough admire his goodnesse or set forth his praise Here is mercy patience goodnesse past the comprehension of all finite spirits and only to be conceiued by him whose it is And thirdly if this bee so that God is of such a patient Vse 3 and forbearing nature see what an odious contempt of Gods grace it is to take occasion by this patience to continue and increase in sinne In things of this life we hold it detestable if a seruant should thus reason from his masters bounty Hee dealeth thus and thus gratiouslie with me therefore I care not how I prouoke him and displease him And yet this is the reasoning of thousands in the world for thus say some and farre more thinke I haue liued in such or such a course as I heare Preachers say of sinning for many yeeres but I see that God hath blessed me as well as the precisest of them all I liue still and thriue well God I thanke thee and therefore I purpose to hold on as I haue begunne talke these Preachers what they please I passe not And thus y Eccles 8.11 because sentence is not speedily executed vngodly men take courage to offend Dealing with God as birds doe with the scarcrow at first they are afraid but seeing it not to stirre at length they come neere it and sit vpon it So these at first they are somewhat fearefull to offend but through impunity they harden themselues to commit iniquity And yet saith Solomon z Verse 12 13. Though a sinner doe euill an hundred times and God prolong his daies yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that feare the Lord which feare before him But it shall not be well with the wicked neither shall he prolong his daies which are as a shadow because he feareth not before God Vnderstand therefore oh yee vnwise amongst the people all is not well because God forbeares to punish His patience and longanimity is no good argument of mans innocency It may bee by the praiers of the Vinedressers a Luke 13.6 respit hath beene obtained for thee for a while before thy cutting downe as was for that barren figge-tree Or else it may bee thy sinnes though hainous enough amongst vs b Gen. 15.16 are not come as yet to their full ripenesse Or haply God thus forbeares thee to shew his lothnesse to destroy How euer his patience alwaies tends not to countenance receiued courses but to giue occasion to alter our accustomed euils And what though his wrath comes slowly yet in the end hee will make amends for his delay with the weight of vengeance Lento gradu ad vindictum sui His mill grindes slow but yet sure and small All this while he beares he is but a fetching of the blow and the higher he lifts the heauier it lights Now hee is preparing his deadly arrowes this time he takes to fit them to the string and because hee meanes not to misse the marke he stands long at leuell and drawes far euen to the head that his arrowes may pierce deepe
b Matth. 6.13 that kingdome power and glory is Gods Reason And no maruell seeing he alone made all c Coloss 1.16 without any helpe Yea he it is that doth preserue and vphold d Acts 17.24 Reuel 4.11 all things that are made and therefore he must needs haue absolute soueraigntie and authoritie ouer all Obiect But Sathan is called e 2 Cor. 4.4 Resp. 1. the God of this world and most obey him How then is God so absolute a Lord Sathan is so called First because he challengeth it to himselfe and not that he is so for f Psal 24.1 The earth is the Lords and the fulnesse thereof the world and they that dwell therein He only vsurps it as he did when he told our blessed Sauiour g Matth. 4.8 All the kingdomes of the world he would giue him if he would fall downe and worship him And thus the Deuill is called the God of this world as Absolom was called King by vsurpation Secondly and especially he is called a God because the wicked make him so suffering him to rule ouer them and reigne in them giuing him that honour and worship which indeed belongs to God It is not then Satans power that makes him a God but mans weaknesse in yeelding to his suggestions Neither doth this obedience which most giue him make against what is now taught for we may not measure and esteeme of soueraigntie and authoritie by the obedience or disobedience of subiects but by the right of authoritie which any hath ouer a land or people What if most men should not obey their Prince but his enemie would it follow hereupon that he should not be their Lord but that other whom they serue Nothing lesse So here And againe Satan himselfe is but Gods slaue seruing as an executioner or tormenter of the wicked now we know Princes are as well Lords ouer such as they are ouer the very best Now we come to see what Vses will follow hereupon And first seeing God is absolute Lord ouer all that is Vse 1 or euer was let wicked men be admonished aduisedly to consider from whom they haue had what now they doe enioy and whether they hold their lands and their possessions as we say in Capite All as we see is Gods if wee hold not what we haue from him we are but as theeues robbers vsurpers Tell me then thou worldly wealthy wise one canst thou say of thy lands possessions leases moneys as Iacob did h Gen. 32.10 that God hath giuen them thee I feare me nay the bad meanes thou vsedst for the attainment of them will gainsay it God giues what hee giues by lawfull meanes thy courses were sinfull and vnlawfull as lying couzenage oppression vsury extortion or the like whereby these were gotten Whence is it that Trades are called crafts and mysteries but from hence in that more liue by the craft and sinne of their Trades than by the Trade it selfe Hence also is it that men are faine to bee as warie in buying and bargaining with most Tradesmen in these sinfull daies as if they were fallen into the hands of theeues and cut-purses Will not these things witnesse against many at the last day that they haue not lawfully what they haue Will not these sinfull courses conuict thousands of theft before the Lord Yes questionlesse Happy were it for these if they could in time see it and repent thereof and make restitution of what they haue thus vniustly gotten while there is helpe and hope otherwise let such be assured a day will come when as they shall be compelled to restore and say to Satan and the world as Iudas did to the High Priests Take your siluer your gold your wealth againe i Math. 27.3 4. It is the price of bloud but shall finde no better answer than that they gaue him What is that to vs thou shouldst haue looked to it Vse 2 Secondly is God such an absolute Lord hauing power and dominion ouer all Particulars wherein we are to shew our obedience to the Lord. let this serue for our Instruction and teach vs all to shew our alleageance to him in the practise of these duties First in carrying in our hearts a feare and reuerence of his maiestie euen such a feare as doth proceed from loue this God requireth k Mal. 1.6 A sonne honoureth his father and a seruant his master If then I be a father where is my honour and if I be a master where is my feare saith the Lord Almighty Secondly by an open profession and acknowledgement that he is our Lord. Euen as seruants by their liuerie make knowne to all men whose they are and whom they serue So doe thou both by words and deeds make knowne to whom thou dost belong and be not ashamed of thy master thou hast no cause He is farre from being a faithfull seruant that can stand by and be dumbe in case his master be dishonoured Thirdly in giuing him absolute and vniuersall obedience cheerefully subiecting our selues in all things and at all times to his commands Here must be no reasoning about no inquiring into his commandements as may be into mens for they must be obeyed in him yea disobeyed for him if they command any thing contrary to his will but he must be obeyed absolutely in all the parts of his will reuealed His sayings must be our doings Ipse dixit must be sufficient Fourthly by acknowledging our selues to be accountable vnto him for all our waies and workes Still remembring the goods we vse are none of ours they are our Lords and we are but stewards l Luke 16.2 who must shortly be called to a reckoning He that spendeth his owne need care the lesse but he that hath a matter of trust committed into his hands and cannot spend but out of anothers stocke had need to looke about him because he must be countable and so enforced to make good whatsoeuer he commeth short in in his reckonings Aske then thy selfe what haue I that I haue not receiued of my Lord and Master Whence had I these gifts of bodie minde health wealth c. but of him And so carry thy selfe in the vsing of these as that thou maist be able to hold vp thy head before the Lord in that day of reckoning And thus we see some particulars wherein we are to testifie our loyalty and obedience Lastly this may be a ground of moderation and meeknesse Vse 3 for all superiours in their dealings with their inferiours and such as are vnder their gouernment seeing as they are Lords ouer others so they haue a Lord aboue them This the Apostle putteth Masters in minde of and on this very ground stirres them vp to iust and equall dealing with their seruants because they also m Ephes 6.9 Coloss 4.1 haue a master in heauen As if he should say Beware that you abuse not your authoriâ—ie for know that you haue a supreme Lord and
reckoning and of that terrible sentence which shall be then denounced r Matth. 25.41 Depart you cursed into euerlasting fire prepared for the Deuill and his angels There is the Reiection Verse 42. For I was an hungrie and you gaue mee no meat I was thirstie and you gaue me no drinke I was a stranger and yee tooke me not in naked and yee clothed me not sicke and in prison and yee did not releâ—ue mee There is a Reason of their Reiection Oh then how fearefull will their case be against whom the Iudge may thus proceed in sentence Depart from mee you cursed into euerlasting fire prepared for the Deuill and his angels for I had meat and by force you tooke it from mee I had drinke and you spoiled mee of it I had a house and you thrust mee out of doores I had clothes and you pulled them from my backe I was in health and you made mee sicke I was at libertie and you imprisoned me For if by that sentence they be damned who haue not done the workes of mercie much more shall they be damned who haue acted the workes of crueltie If by that sentence they be damned who haue not succoured nor releeued the poore much more shall they be damned who haue oppressed and crushed the poore To winde vp all in a word and so to turne the vse from Reprehension to Exhortation Å¿ 1 Thess 4.6 Let no man from henceforth oppresse nor defraud his brother for the Lord is the auenger of all such things Let vs all so carry our selues as that with blessed Paul we may glory as he did t 2 Cor. 7.2 We haue wronged no man wee haue consumed no man wee haue defrauded no man And so I leaue this which especially respects the Agent and come to what remaines which especially respects the Patient Behold a cry i. of the poore and needy Text. of the fatherlesse and widow and such as were oppressed Here we see The eyes of the oppressed ascend vp into the Almighties eares He heares their groanes Doctr. God heares the cries of the oppressed and beholds their grieuances The Lord told Moses as much when he called him to be the deliuerer of his people Israel u Exod. 3.7 I haue surely seene the affliction of my people which are in Egypt and haue heard their cry by reason of their taske-masters for I know their sorrowes Now therefore behold Verse 9. and Cap. 2.23 24 the cry of the children of Israel is come vnto me and I haue also seene the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppresse them Afterwards when God forbad his people to oppresse the stranger fatherlesse and widow he addeth this as a reason * Exod. 22.23 I will surely heare their cry Iob auoucheth as much as I haue deliuered x Iob 34.28 They cause the cry of the poore to come vnto him and he heareth the cry of the afflicted So doth the Psalmist y Psal 34.17 The righteous cry when he is thus oppressed and God heareth him S. Iames likewise confirmeth it z Iam. 5.4 Behold the hire of the labourers which haue reaped downe your fields which is of you kept backe by fraud crieth and the cries of them which haue reaped are entred into the eares of the Lord of Sabbath Reas 1 And how can it be otherwise For marke our blessed Sauiours owne argument a Luke 18.4 If importunate clamour preuaile with the vniust Iudge who neither regardeth man nor feareth God shall not God much more auenge his owne elect ones that cry day and night vnto him for the wrong that is done vnto them through the oppression of the mighty I tell you saith our Sauiour though he forbeare long yet at length he will doe it Reas 2 Dauid furnisheth vs with another Reason b Psal 68.5 A father of the fatherlesse and a Iudge of the widow is God in his holy habitation These are his Clients he hath taken them into his protection he is become their Iudge and c Gen. 18.25 shall not the Iudge of all the world doe right Vse 1 This neerely concernes both oppressors and the oppressed As for oppressors they had need be well aduised what they doe for if they continue in their cruelty the poore must needs sigh and cry and God will heare them which if he doe he will cause their oppressors to heare of him d Psal 10.17 He will iudge the fatherlesse and the oppressed that the man of earth may no more oppresse Or suppose that they themselues cry not but e Lament 3.27 28 29. sit downe by it and thrust their mouthes in the dust f Psal 39.9 swallowing their griefe with silence yea praying for them g Psal 109.4 Acts 7.60 Luke 23.34 who persecute and oppresse them rather than putting vp any bill of complaint to God against them yet the sinne it selfe will cry though they be silent Clamitat in coelum vox sanguinis Sodomorum Vox oppressorum merces retenta laborum Euery sinne indeed hath its voice to discouer it selfe to God saith one h Omnis namque iniquitas apud secreta Dei iudicia habet voces sâ—â—s Greg. Mor. 5. cap. 8. and not a voice only but feet also yea and wings too to make way and speed into heauen for vengeance but yet there are foure sinnes and but foure as is obserued i Aquin. in Iac. 5.4 mentioned in Scripture that are said to cry The first is Homicide murther or manslaughter whereof Almighty God thus speaketh vnto Cain k Gen. 4.10 The voice of thy brothers bloud crieth vnto mee from off the earth The second is Sodomie a sinne against nature whereof the Lord speaketh thus vnto Abraham l Gen. 18.20 Because the cry of Sodome and Gomorrha is great and because their sinne is exceeding grieuous I will goe downe now and see whether they haue done altogether according to the cry which is come vnto me The third is this of Oppression as the places before quoted shew as also that of Habakkuk m Hab. 2.11 12. where the very timber and stone from the building that is founded vpon falshood and oppression is said to cry for vengeance from heauen The fourth is The keeping backe of the labourers hire as that place euen now brought out of S. Iames n Iam. 5.4 for the proofe of our point witnesseth These sinnes are not only vocall but importunate they will haue no nay but hale downe iudgements vpon the heads of the miserable authors and wretched actors of them So then it is impossible for oppressors to escape vnpunished and howeuer vengeance may seeme limpingly to pursue them yet it will ouertake them in the end without repentance hinder As for the poore oppressed this may serue for their Vse 2 comfort and it may teach them patience He that is ouerswayed with might against equitie right in some one Court yet is not out
thus shew ourselues to be members one of another And therefore as God hath called vs so let vs walke whether we be Magistrates Ministers or others Art thou a Magistrate Then thou as the head shouldst rule and gouerne wisely woe be to the bodie when the head is pâ—â—â—nzie drunken idle or the like see thou be not so but as the head doth heare and see taste and smell for the good of the inferiour members so shouldst thou in that place wherein God hath set thee Art thou a Minister Then as the Heart thou shouldst be the fountaine of life and vitall spirits doctrine like dew should distill from thy lips Little ioy haue the other members when the heart is sicke or heauy Art thou in meaner place a Tradesman Husbandman or the like then as the foot see thou be sound and seruiceable being ready to goe or runne for the least good that may betide the bodie And that vnitie and loue may the better be continued and maintained let these euils be auoided First Enuie or repining at the gifts of others a sinne too common and yet vnnaturall for doth the foot enuie at the head because it is preferd before it as more honourable Or is it discontented because it is clad in leather when it may be there is a chaine of gold about the necke or a pretious stone vpon the finger Each member is apparelled and decked with such ornaments and vestures as are most seemely for it A garter is vnseemely about the necke and so is a chaine about the leg A foule fault then it must needs be to enuie any in higher place for that credit honour and respect which they haue aboue vs. Secondly arrogancie and highmindednesse for any gift that is in vs aboue our brethren The eie is honoured with that necessary and noble sense of seeing and so is the eare with that worthy and needfull sense of hearing and the nose is preferred before them both in that profitable and vsefull sense of smelling Thus he that taketh place before all in some things must be content to giue place and come behinde others in some things else Let this cause thee to contemne none that are inferiour to thy selfe in shew Thirdly curiosity or busie medling with things belonging not vnto vs. The eie meddles not with hearing nor the eare with seeing nor the foot with either of them both but each member knowes its owne office and that it lookes to So arrogate not to thy selfe any thing out of thy owne calling but containe thy selfe within thy owne bounds and limits If a mote should fall into the eie were the foot a fit member to be thrust into the eie to plucke it out No for though the foot be sensible of the trouble yet it leaues the helping of it to the hand It is neither fit nor comely for the people to meddle with the office of Magistrates directing them how to gouerne nor with the calling of Ministers teaching them how to preach And therefore let all take the Apostles counsell and b 1 Thess 4.11 study to be quiet medling with our owne businesse leauing other things to whom they doe concerne Vse 2 For a second vse Is the Church but one Then woe to such as are authors or fautors of any diuision or separation and so breake the vnity of the Church Such sinne grieuously as S. Paul sheweth c 1 Cor. 3.3 writing to the Corinthians and auoucheth that such are carnall and walke as men What answer will Brownists and Separatists make to God at the last day Oh they were wicked Magistrates vngodly Ministers c. But if the head ake doth the foot refuse to beare it Or if the eie be blemished doth the rest of the members disdaine it or contemne it or whilest it remaineth in the body refuse to haue fellowship with it and renounce their owne part in the body because of it Me thinks this being well considered must needs conuince them But of these before Hitherto I haue beene in the Proposition of the Parable The prosequution explication or narration of it followeth now to be handled which beginneth at the latter end of the first verse and continueth to the end of the sixth Wherein we haue laid downe to be considered first the Vineyards Plantation in the latter part of the first and in the second verses secondly the Supplantation thereof in the foure next In the first of these we haue two things to intreat of as first of the Vinitors great paines and cost which he bestowed vpon it and secondly of his iust expectation which he made to receiue fruit from it His paines cost and care for this his Vineyards good appeares in six sundry particulars First in the situation of it for it grew 1. vpon a Hill 2. vpon a very fruitfull Hill In an horne of the sonne of oile for so the words are by which Hebraisme is set forth the fatnesse and fruitfulnesse of the place For by an horne is noted d 2 Sam. 22 3. Psal 75.4 5. Luk. 1.69 strength power and height vsually in Scripture and by oile e Iob 29.6 fatnesse and plenty and by the sonne of oile is meant that which commeth of the oile and is of it A phrase vsuall amongst the Hebrewes And so wee reade of the sonne of daies of the sonne of death of the sonne of plenty and the like By this phrase then is noted thus much that they were excellently seated both for pleasure and profit Muscul in loc and in so fruitfull a place as if it had beene the sonne of oile and borne of it Secondly in the Protection of it for hee fenced and enclosed it in strongly that it might not be wasted nor any way annoied Thirdly in the Elapidation or Cleansing of it casting out the stones and preparing of the soile by purging it from all noisome things Fourthly in the Election or Chusing of choice and noblest Plants such as were of the best kinde to set it with Fiftly in the Fortification and further strengthening it for he built a Tower in the midst thereof for the preseruation of it Sixtly and lastly in the erection and setting vp a Wine-presse in it as being desirous to supply all things that might be vsefull for it So that by all these he testified that his care for its good was very great Before I come to speake of these particulars in generall obserue we God is no way wanting or defectiue in any one point of good husbandry towards his Church and Vineyard Doctr. God is no way wanting in any point of good husbandrie for his Churches good Is any thing wanting in it that he supplies Is any thing hurtfull in it that he remoues Is any violence offered to it that he withstands No husbandman shall so labour his ground as God will doe it And thus doth God speake of himselfe professing his prouident care for the good of it f Isay 27.2 3. In that day
sing ye vnto her a Vineyard of red wine I the Lord doe keepe it I will water it euery moment lest any hurt it Calu. Musc in loc I will keepe it night and day Where by watering of it he comprehends whatsoeuer belongs to the dressing and manuring of it so that no dutie shall be left vnperformed whereby the good thereof might be procured And vnto this he addeth vigilancie for what would it auaile to husband a Vine with great paines and labour if afterwards it should be left open for theeues and beasts to enter in and waste it at their pleasures therefore he promiseth withall that he will keepe it so that no hurt shall be done vnto it but the fruits shal haue time to ripen so that afterwards they may be reaped in their season So our Sauiour g Iohn 15.2 hauing compared his Father to an husbandman sets out his great care in trimming and dressing of his Vine by taking away those branches which were barren and purging those which were fruitfull so that they might become more fruitfull omitting no part of his skill neither to the one or other The like care is h Luke 13.8 shewed in that Parable propounded by our Sauiour of the fruitlesse figge tree And in that which the Apostle propounds i Heb. 6.7 of the good and bad soile in both which the great and constant paines of this husbandman is declared Reas 1 And no wonder For first God loues his Vineyard dearely as hath beene before shewed now we see that field which a man takes most pleasure in he takes most paines about no man will bestow such cost and labour vpon a tenement he holds but from yeare to yeare as he will vpon his owne inheritance This may be one reason why he so husbands it to make it pleasant and fruitfull because his loue is set vpon it and his delight is in it Reas 2 Secondly the Churches fructifying is Gods glorifiing as our Sauiour telleth his Disciples k Iohn 15.8 Matth. 5.16 Herein is my Father glorified that you beare much fruit For looke as it tends to that husbandmans praise whose fields exceed the fields of other men in fruitfull crops So we being Gods Vineyard set and planted by his right hand doe then commend his husbandrie and set forth his praise when we are laden with the fruits of righteousnesse l Phil. 1.11 as the Apostle sheweth No wonder then if God be so diligent in his husbanding of his Church seeing the fruitfulnesse of the Church brings praise and honour to his name which is the maine end he proposeth to himselfe in all his actions as hath beene before proued And is God so carefull a husbandman of his Church Vse 1 hath he so prouident a care for the good of it as that if any thing be wanting he supplies it or if any thing be hurtfull in it he remoues it Then may all wicked ones hence take out a lesson to their griefe and terror For woe to them who are in the Church of God but as thornes and briars hurtfull and noxious to the m Cant. 2.2 Lillies God is a better husbandman than to suffer these for euer A day will come when he will view his field and stub vp all winding and wounding briars all renting and ranckling thornes that fetch away the clothes yea skinne and flesh too from off the Lambs of Christ with their entanglements It may be God may suffer these for a while as he did the Canaanites in Israel lest the wilde beasts should breake in vpon them and as a wise husbandman permits such to lie in the hedge for a yeare or two and makes them seruiceable for the stopping of a gap or some such purpose but in the end when they are seare and rotten in their sinnes then he will haue them to the fire for that 's their portion Secondly it should admonish all to looke vnto their Vse 2 growth that it be good and kindly if the roots of trees run too deepe into the earth they must be cut off shorter if the branches of a Vine spread too farre they must be pruned neerer and if the canker once eat into or cleaue vnto our trees we set we burne them smoake them or the like And so if we be too much rooted by our affections in things below or suffer them to spread abroad too farre or let the canker of sin to eat into our soules be we what we wil be God will giue vs many a cutting pruning smoaking that if it be possible we may be brought into better case Vse 3 Thirdly this may comfort such as are euermore bewailing their little growth in grace maruellous defectiue they are in virtues of all kindes as in faith meeknesse patience thankefulnesse heauenly-mindednesse and the like and albeit they haue some good desires and vnfained purposes and resolutions to bring forth fruit to God yet withall they finde such strong corruptions in themselues as pride vaine-glory worldlinesse lust passion reuengefulnesse with such like as that they be euen out of hope and know not what to iudge of their owne estate but feare they belong not vnto God because they are no better husbanded Now let me speake a word to the soules of these and let my words be to them as n Deut. 32.2 the raine to the new-mowen grasse Dost thou not see the Husbandman suffer his ground to lie as though he had forsaken it and for a time to endure to haue weeds and thistles grow thereon euen when he hath a purpose to breake it vp with his plough and bestow much cost thereon yea and after he hath turned it vp to let it lie as if he were a weary of his paines when notwithstanding becomes with his plow againe and giues it another tilth or two then sowes his seed being all the while before but a preparing of the soyle for the receiuing of it The like is Gods dealing with his dearest seruants he many times suffers them to bring forth the weedes of sinne and to lie in their wickednesse for a time as we see in Dauid Peter and some others as if he had cast them off but it is for no other end but to mellow their hard hearts by humiliation and godly sorrow and to teach them to distaste their pride and not to trust to their owne strength hereafter But notwithstanding in due season he doth returne restore and lift them vp againe And therefore wait thou a while Is thy heart hard and stonie why in his due time he will mollifie and mellow it and make it fit for the seed of grace by bringing downe all high hils of presumption and making deepe and long furrowes of mortification in it Hath he begun to scatter the seeds of grace within thy soule Why then he will follow thee and so husband the least dram thereof be it but o Mat. 13.31 32. a graine of mustard seed as that it shall shoot